Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-06-30
THE RAILROAD CENSURED
FOR THE TERRIBLE OOLLISION
Ar HAVRB DE GRACE.


| kill6u III luB CDiiihlOu LhthuhF Wttks
| The corpse was in mn Ice casket, and wns
viewed by many. The fesh on the face
was red and peeled, showing unmistalEa
BILE signs Of soalding, Tho Jury was
sworn rs follows: II. W. Shure, fore
man; L. W. Murphy, N. 8. McOombs,
George X. Carver, N. B. Case, II. Z.
Mitchell, j.. w. Jones, James Il. Burke,
r.. II. Morgan, Sol. Newfneyer, w. O.
/ Bailey and 4. X. Wells.
J. s. Meushaw, conductor Of train No.
Al, going south, testified that he stopped
| at the station at Hayre dc Grace on
schedule time. After unloading and load.
ing passengers he save the signal u Y Y
engineer and STARTED from the station.
having stopped two minutes; walked bsolt
in the parlor car, which was next TO bag
gage car, and without any warning wps
struck and hurled 10 one side as the ca
fell over; got out as soon as possible, end
assisted in getting others &c; went back
to smoker and saw man dead In front
end; identified the corpse as the man who
was in the car; stea1a was escaping, and
| is sure his death resulted from scaldipR.
| The train which collided with 8 was n
| 66, and was late; his train WAS "a tim
P. A. Nelson, the engineer of train N,
Al, said he stopped two minutes at the
station; got of to oil and fill the cup.
/ Started of OF the signal, and when near
| the crossing he saw the north bound
train; it was SO yards off put on air
brakes and shut down, realizing that If
he kept on the collision would occur in q
more dangerous position, and probably
result in more loss Of life; as It was, his
train was struck at the baggage car, and
crashing against the coaches turned them
over did not hear any whistle of the
north-bound train.
/ p. Luddy, fireman of No. Al, said he
was ringing the bell when he left the sta
| ton; he saw the approaching train and
saw the fireman jump off called to his
| engineer to jump; the air-brakes were
| applied; the train was on the switch
/ when he first saw it.
/ L. W. Ragan, conductor of the north
bound train, No. 66, said his train was II
minutes late. Felt the shock when the
air-brake was applied to.his train at the
usual place; was running about 90 milesf
an hour when the train struck, bat would
not be positive; was in the rear car at
tending TO other duties. It is the rule Of
| the company for conductors to see the
| signals, but 1t is not always possible; had
/ O brakeman looking for signal. Did not
i give special orders to the men to look for
signal, as it is their duty. Witness did
not see south bound train. His train was
l very heavy, all Pullman cars six in num-
Der. He believed the air-brakes were on,
but otingood working order. Hethought
the engineer used every effort TO prevent
collision. His train does not stop at Hayre
de Grace usually, and generally passes
No. Al between Peryville and Principle,
but was IL minutes late. He supposed
the brakes were all right or he would have
used extra caution.
| e. III. Sargent, the engineer of No. GO
swore that when about two miles from
the station at the Old Bay crossing he
shut of the engine, oiled the valves and
applied the air-brakes; he used 90
pounds of air; had on 80 pounds, and is
allowed 65 pounds. When first applied
the brakes held but afterwards they gave
way. Az Lewis crossing he could see the
smoke from the south-bound at the
station; he immediately reversed his
engine and put on sand applied the
brakes and found they would not work.
He did not blow for hand brakes because s
ii was of no use while air was on; did
not whistle for the approaching station
because his mind was too much
occupied with stopping the engine. In
his opinion the cause of the collision "
that the air-brake refused to work On
account of leak under the cylinder.
4 1b Coulu hOt hoS tbo blkuhL ut
the tower from Lewis crossing;
saw the smoke of the engine at the sta
tion before reversing. The engine was
just north Of the crossing; did not think
o. applying hand-brakes they would
have stopped the train, but as soon as the
air was taken off the train would have
rushed ahead. The momentum of the
train would have brought it to the station.
When he first applied brakes he was run
ming about 45 miles per hour, and about
10 miles per hour when struck. Has been
on the road for 23 years, since July, 1864,
He did not apprehend any danger when
he first applied the cir. He expected to
meet the south bound at Havre de Grace
rs usual, but expected TO be in condition
to stop. To have blowed for hard brakes
would have been to relieve air, which
would have given train fresh start. The
engine had back motion, sliding along
when it struck. Stayed on the engine
/ until it struck.
George Gordon, the fireman, swore tbnt
the engine was shut of for Hnvre de
, Grace little further oil than usual saw
the brakes applied and was using sand
when the engine got opposite the tower
saw there was not any chance TO stop her;
he went on the other side of the engine
and jumped off, receiving several bad
| cuts and bruises. He could not see the
signal on his side, there being a curve
which prevents; the train was II minutes
late was running about As miles when
: brakes were first put on and Is or 20
I when struck. He expected TO meet the
train ON the Hayre de Grace side of the
river, but further out. Had not put on
any coal since leaving Darlington. VII,
: : ness was positive the engineer did every
i thing in his power 10 stop the train.
a Several other employees testified, and OF
n the conclusion of the evidence the jury
Q proceeded in body to view the scene OF
$ the collision and roadway north and south
Y Of the accident A Juror said 'sliere is
!. where Bernhard saw the north-bound.
!, = train going at the rate Of 45 or 90 miles
4 an hour. II is right in the town, and II
q the train was going at that rate here il
@ was going at tho same high speed whom
10 the collision took place." III. w. Shure,
'- tho foreman of the jury, said: "Here is
where Sargent says he reversed his en-.
glue and applied plenty of steam. Had
q he done as he says while going at such o
u high rate Of speed il would have torn up
o. this track, and you see the track ia all
Or right"
y The jury waited TO SEQ theoongressionDi
~ express Of yesterday week come In qv,r
y y the part of the road whore Engineer
4 Sargent said he endeavored 10 control
ID bis train, saying the express would
ly have come in a-humming II the fact Of
0. the jury's waiting for 1t had not been
wired on, Some Thought the congres.
aional express would slack down her rate
20 of speed on entering the town for week
o or SO. The train came on, but il was seen
4, y, at al glance that she Ind slowed down.
~ The Jury retired for deliberation.
rs After returning to the office of the COZ
IT. oner the jury requested the coroner to
lat leave the room, which he declined TO
ng do, claiming TO be part of the jury.
IN They thereupon left the coroner'a office
,n' and went TO the residence OF George Il.
So Carver, one of the jurors, whore, after
some deliberatiop, they again adjourned.
At o'clock the jury mot NJ the coroner'f
ice office again and deliberated until II
ell O'Clock, when they adjourned withou,
ON rendering n verdict TO meet Thursday
ks. morning at s O'Clock.
~. THE VERDICT. ~"
~ ae HAvRR DE GRACE, June 23.-The ooro-
m. ner's jury in the case of Alexander
Goutram, killed by tho collision on The
p, w. 4 b. railroad at this place OF
md Tuesday afternoon, this morning re
er- turned the following verdict
'as ''That on the 2lst day of Jpne In III,
Ss ,en year 1887, at the city of Havre de Grace,
-.